Date Published: 31/01/2023
ARCHIVED - British Airways pilot calls police on drunk stewardess on flight from Spain
The pilot radioed the control tower while still 30,000 feet in the air after departing Gran Canaria
A British Airways flight attendant was arrested as soon the plane touched down in Gatwick on Thursday January 26 for being drunk on board the flight. The pilot of the Airbus A320 radioed ahead to the airport while the plane was still 30,000 feet in the air, as he realised the stewardess was intoxicated shortly after taking off from Gran Canaria.
An inside source claims the woman has since been “stood down” from her job with BA as the investigation continues.
They added: “The pilot saw for himself that the crew member was in no fit state to work and engage with passengers.
“Her job is to maintain the safety of the aircraft and its passengers, and she was not able to do this.
“He radioed ahead calling for police to meet the aircraft.”
Sussex police were waiting on the tarmac when the flight landed in the UK and immediately performed a breathalyser test, which she failed. The stewardess was arrested on the spot but has since been released on bail “pending further enquiries.”
The rest of the cabin crew were interviewed by police and some believed the woman may have been under the influence of drugs, but this hasn’t been confirmed.
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “Officers arrested a 41-year-old woman on suspicion of performing an aviation function when over the prescribed limit for alcohol, contrary to the Railways and Transport Act 2003”.
Passengers were made to stay on the aircraft for almost an hour after it touched down while police dealt with the drunk flight attendant.
British Airways said that it is “supporting the police with their investigation”.
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